Seeing the approaching creature, he stopped dead.
The second man looked at the alien image on Walter's T-shirt. He glanced back at the strange apparition. His jaw dropped open, as well.
Neither sentry said a word as the silvery phantom slid up the path and stopped directly before the two men.
The creature was so tiny, it had to lift its head in order to look them in the eye. When it spoke, its voice was a lyrical singsong.
"Take me to your leader," the Master of Sinanju commanded firmly.
ARTHUR FORD SPIED Chiun while the old man was still conversing with the two guards. He was stunned that the men didn't fire at him. His shock gave way to horror when he realized that one of the men wasn't even carrying a gun. For some reason, he had discarded it.
The other man still held his weapon, but it was down at his side, hanging by its strap. The second guard obviously had no intention of using it.
Mind control. That was the only possibility. Beta RAM was right. Remo and Chiun were extraterrestrials.
The invasion of Camp Earth had begun, and their troops were falling under the spell of the invading army.
Roote would have to be warned. Though an alien himself, he was the last hope for humanity. And for Arthur Ford.
Running, tripping, Ford raced away from the cluster of huts to the lonely shed of Elizu Roote.
ABOVE CAMP EARTH, Remo spied Arthur Ford running in the direction opposite Chiun.
There was only a lonely tin hut beyond the main camp. Ford seemed to be heading toward it and the Rio Grande.
Remo did some quick calculations. Ford had saved Roote once already. He appeared now to be a man with a purpose.
It didn't take long for Remo to come to a conclusion. There wasn't much doubt in Remo's mind where Arthur Ford was running now. And to whom.
Chiun didn't see Ford. From his position on the road, the dilapidated shacks of the main village blocked the Master of Sinanju's view.
Although Remo still felt out of sorts, he didn't think that he was in the dire condition Chiun claimed. As long as he kept his wits about him, he'd be okay. Besides, he'd just keep an eye on Roote until Chiun arrived and watch the old Korean's back if he underestimated his opponent.
In spite of Chiun's warnings, Remo got carefully to his feet. He began to pick his way stealthily across the rocky ledge toward the lone shack.
Chapter 27
"Behold, lesser mortals, the Master of Sinanju!" Chiun held his arms out wide. His kimono sleeves flapped like the wings of a giant silver moth.
"Is that like a Time Lord?" someone asked. Chiun's hazel eyes narrowed.
"Is that something that is terribly powerful?"
Many of the Camp Earthers shrugged. "Sure. Yeah. Absolutely." The words were accompanied by confident nods.
"Then I am that, as well," he announced.
"See? What did I tell you?" Walter Malpa enthused. He pulled the hem of his untucked T-shirt in order to better display the picture emblazoned across the front. "He's one of these guys."
"He looks human," someone suggested.
"Yeah," agreed another.
"Sort of Chinese."
"'Chinese' and 'human' are mutually exclusive," the Master of Sinanju said flatly.
There was an abrupt commotion at the edge of the crowd. An M-16 barrel suddenly battled its way through the excited throng. At the far end of the weapon was Beta RAM. He aimed the barrel at Chiun's chest.
"Are you people crazy!" he screamed at the other Camp Earthers. He glanced around, eyes wild. Many of the men and women had discarded their weapons. "Pick up your guns!"
Most of them sheepishly gathered up the rifles they had dropped to the dirt.
"He's okay," Walter assured Beta. "Really. He's an alien."
"He's one of the government guys who chased me from Las Cruces," Beta said, annoyed at Walter.
"Look at him," Walter insisted. "That's no Fed. The head, the eyes, the fingers. Even the robe screams 'alien.'"
Chiun had tucked his hands inside the sleeves of his kimono. He stared blankly at Beta RAM. Beta looked down at Chiun's wizened form. Flickering light from a dozen fires illuminated his kimono in an eerie glow. On closer inspection, though he hated to admit it, Beta realized the kid might have a point. Even so, he nudged his weapon closer to Chiun.
"If you're an alien, where's your ship?" Beta asked.
"Maybe he's from that UFO the electricity guy shot down," a Camp Earther suggested.
"Let him answer," Beta threatened.
Seeing their leader so concerned, some of the others had put their earlier enthusiasm in check.
They aimed their weapons at the Master of Sinanju, as well.
"I have parked my USO in the desert, so as to avoid the prying eyes of your government. See? I am well versed in your paranoid delusions. Now, to the matter at hand. Where is the one who was taken from the military base?"
Beta ignored the question, offering one of his own.
"USO?"
"Yes," Chiun intoned. "I am a great advocate of USOs."
"United Service Organizations?" Beta RAM asked.
"What?" Chiun said.
"That's what USO stands for," Beta explained. "You know, they're the ones who go around entertaining the troops during wartime."
"What are you babbling about?" Chiun asked. "I am not interested in troops. Only a single soldier. The one called Roote."